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I posted on Saturday, February 16 about a great wine (Hacienda Monasterio Ribera del Duero) I enjoyed with my family during this year’s Super Bowl, and then picked up the Weekend Edition of the Wall Street Journal to relax with a leisurely cup of coffee. I always enjoy reading Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher’s “Wine Notes” and eventually planned on writing about their column.  So, of course, I was pleasantly surprised to read their Super Bowl wine story. This husband and wife writing team injects their wine and food expertise, and relevant life experiences, into a writing style that is both approachable to the novice and interesting and engaging for wine geeks. One of the hallmarks of this style is their  brilliant “Open That Bottle Night (OTBN),” which encourages readers to finally open that special bottle they have been saving forever for a special occasion. The next OTBN is February 23 (go to wsj.com/OTBN). Their February 16-17 column, “A Super Controversy,” chronicled Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s supermodel girlfriend Gisele Bündchen’s consumption of red wine while viewing the game from a stadium skybox. Gaiter and Brecher describe it this way: “This was the moment when we first got up to cheer. It was a pleasure to see someone savoring the Super Bowl with a glass of wine.” They went on to outline the uproar from certain media types and bloggers regarding this outrageous indiscretion. After learning about the tidal wave of protest, I considered deleting my Super Bowl post (not really). The gist of this somewhat tongue-in-cheek WSJ article was obviously that some consider it to be sacrilegious to consume wine at America’s penultimate sporting event, long dominated by beer drinkers and beer advertising. The reality, however, is that wine consumption in the United States is steadily growing and in a few years we will be the top wine consuming country in the world. After all, one has to consider that beer, with all of those bubbles, fills you up much faster than vino. If you’re drinking wine at the Super Bowl, you will have more room for hot dogs, nachos and the plethora of crazy dishes we devour for the big game. Of course, this level of food intake is not typically a major concern for supermodels like Gisele Bündchen, but it was nice to see that she was at least enjoying the wine. http://online.wsj.com

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I enjoyed this wine with my family on Super Bowl Sunday. OK, there was beer at the party too, but it was fun to enjoy a Ribero del Duero during an amazing Super Bowl game and a great Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers halftime show. My brother, Dave, is the person who initially taught and inspired me about food and wine, and he was there to enjoy this delicious Spanish treat. Ribero del Duero is an appellation located to the northwest of Madrid and the main grape is Tinto Fino. Plenty of experts believe Tinto Fino is a clone of Tempranillo (the mainstay of Rioja), but many others (especially the locals) think it is a distinct grape with unique characteristics. Winemakers in Ribero del Duero also like to use Bordeaux varietals in the blend, and this particular wine is also comprised of 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage showed nice layers of flavor including earth, dark fruit and pepper, and had a creamy texture that paired well with red meat and a delicious chili that my sister made. Other notable wines from Ribero del Duero include the fabulous Vega Sicilia, Pesquera, and Pingus (Pingus’ owner/winemaker, Peter Sisseck, also crafts the wines of Hacienda Monasterio del Duero). 2005 is the current vintage of this Hacienda Monasterio wine, but previous years are still available at a few retailers listed at www.wine-searcher.com for about $40.00. http://www.haciendamonasterio.com

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The beauty and allure of the Pinot Noir grape is that it can exhibit such a wide variety of flavors and characteristics, depending upon the soil and place where it grows. France’s Burgundy region is the most famous home of this finicky, delicate varietal, and the region produces an incredible assortment of Pinot Noir styles. Gevrey-Chambertin is an appellation that is known for its distinct richness and structure, and this particular vintage certainly lives up to those descriptors. Frederic Magnien produces a wide variety of Burgundy, including among others, Chambolle-Musigny, Charmes-Chambertin, Echezeaux, Le Montrachet, and Morey St Denis. His Gevery-Chambertin Seuvees is consistently one of his best, especially for the money. The 2005 vintage shows dark, forward fruit, a silky texture, great balance and a long finish. Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised to find it in half-bottles, a relative rarity in Burgundy production, although more and more of this format has become available over the past five years. This is not necessarily a commonly available wine, but it is out there. Talk to your fine wine retailer or go to www.wine-searcher.com to order online or find a shop in your area. The regular-sized bottle (750ml) should cost around $55.00. The most important aspect of all Pinot Noir, as far as I’m concerned, is its amazing versatility with food. It has enough acidity and structure to stand up to many hearty dishes, but also will not overwhelm lighter fare such as fish, salads and pasta. www.frederic-magnien.com

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I believe this is quite possibly the best non-vintage brut rosé Champagne produced at this price point. It combines finesse and balance into a cuvée that is perfect as an aperitif, but is also a charming and worthy partner for a variety of  fish and salads. I’ll have mine with some civiche, thank you. The color in this beauty comes from a small amount of Pinot Noir vinified as red wine, which is then added to the white wine comprised of Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir vinified as white wine. This technique is typical of rosé Champagne production, although rosé wines can also be made using the saignée method which employs a partial bleed of color (and flavor) during maceration from the skins of Pinot Noir, or other red grapes. This wonderful rose is also produced in half bottles and magnums. The full size (750ml) bottle can usually be found in fine wine shops and fine dining establishments, although due to its popularity among Champagne fans, you may run into out-of-stock situations from time to time. The price, which can vary quite a bit around the United States, is typically around $75 for the 750ml. I was recently fortunate to find a half bottle at a good price at Astor Wines & Spirits in New York City. For history and trivia buffs, the name Billecart-Salmon came from the marriage (almost 200 years ago) of Nicolas Francois Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon. www.champagne-billecart.fr/eng/maison/maison.htm

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